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The faces of resilience

Ukrainians are reclaiming their roots and identity, flooding cultural venues in defiance. This highlights a disconnect the West fails to understand. War here is not just about soldiers and weapons: it is a rallying cry for the entire society.

My trip back home to Germany, after visiting Kyiv and Lviv, awaits. But before leaving, I meet Olga Myrovych, head of the Lviv Media Forum. This non-profit organization champions media independence and public dialogue in Ukraine. In a warm Lviv café, the contrast to the weight of our conversation is stark. After a week of intense reporting, I ask the question that has grown ever more urgent: how can the world truly grasp Ukraine’s fight for survival?

May 5, 2025 - Isabelle de Pommereau - Issue 3 2025MagazineStories and ideas

Soldiers carrying coffins of their comrades to their final resting place at the cemetery in Lviv. Photo: Isabelle de Pommereau

Olga is why I am here. The forum was born after Ukraine co-hosted Euro 2012 with Poland, exposing a harsh truth: most European journalists knew next to nothing about the country. “For many, Ukraine didn’t exist,” Myrovych says. It was a “blind spot”. Supported by international donors, the forum strives to fill that void by bringing foreign journalists like me to Ukraine and hosting various events to foster dialogue and reshape the country’s global image. For too long, Ukraine was dismissed as little more than a vague extension of “Great Russia”. That distorted perspective fuelled global indifference when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Now, as Ukrainians fight for survival, journalists’ role in illuminating their history, and struggles, is more vital than ever.

Expectation versus reality

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